Wellington W5497 at Pocklington airfield.
On the night of 17th / 18th March 1942 this 405 Squadron aircraft was being landed at Pocklington airfield following a combined night cross-country and night photography training exercise. At 22.05hrs the pilot mis-calculated the approach and did not reduce the power on touching down. The aircraft could not be brought to a halt before the end of the runway and ran off the end of the airfield, the undercarriage almost certainly collapsed as it ran through the boundary hedge. There were no serious casualties but the aircraft was never repaired. This is probably a seperate incident to that of the unidentified aircraft damaged at the same airfield on the same date and I have yet to locate any information, so have not created a webpage as yet.
Pilot - F/Sgt Frank Howard Mitchell RAAF (404654).
Second Pilot - Sgt Stanley Linwood Pettingale RCAF (R/62172).
Navigator - F/Sgt Gordon McLean Phillips RCAF (R/62639).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Lilbert Joseph Boucher RCAF (R/64618).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Robert Baillie RCAF (R/74696). Slightly injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt D K/F Campbell RCAF (R/71648).
Wellington Z5497 was built to contract b.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong’s Ltd. at Weybridge and was delivered to 33 M.U. at Lyneham on 22nd April 1941. It was taken on charge by 405 Squadron at Driffield on 14th June 1941 and moved to Pocklington with them on 20th June 1941. It was almost certainly the Wellington damaged on landing at Pocklington on 22nd August 1941 while being air-tested prior to that night's operations. The date of 22nd August 1941 is given as an assessment by No.43 Group D.A. for a repair in works (which suggests damage more than just wear and tear). On 18th September 1941 it was transported to Brooklands Aviation Ltd., at Sywell for a repair in a works factory. On 28th November 1941 the repairs were complete and on 10th December 1941 it was flown to 46 M.U. at Lossiemouth. On 14th February 1942 it was again taken on charge by 405 Squadron at Pocklington. As a result of minor damage at Pocklington on 17th March 1942 Cat.A(c)/FA damage was the initial damage assessment. On 25th March 1942 it was re-assessed as Re.Cat.B damage, it was then transported to Brooklands Aviation Ltd. at Sywell for another repair in works but was then re-assessed when work started and deemed beyond repair. On 6th April 1942 it was Re.Cat.E and struck off charge two days later.
Sgt Campbell was slightly injured on 29th September 1941 serving with 51 Squadron when Whitley Z6474 crashed near Ripon.
Prior to receiving a commission Stanley Pettingale had served with 77 Squadron, 58 Squadron and 35 Squadron in 1941 and then 405 Squadron in 1941-42. He received a commission in late-1942. F/O Stanley Pettingale was killed on 12th August 1943 serving with 159 Squadron in the crash of Liberator AL560. He is buried in Ranchi War Cemetery, India.
John Baillie was killed on 8th / 9th September 1942 serving with 405 Squadron. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Gordon Phillips was killed on 27th June 1942 with 405 Squadron in Halifax W1110 which failed to return from Ops to Bremen. He is buried at Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery.
Lilbert Boucher was awarded the DFM for service with 405 Squadron, Gazetted on 29th December 1942. Hugh Halliday records, on his RCAF awards research, that he received a commission in 1943 and returned to Canada in 1946. Where he served after 405 Squadron is not yet known. j18134
Frank Mitchell was born on 27th May 1914 in Cobar, New South Wales and was the son of James and Mrs Mitchell. As a young man he worked as a commercial traveller. He enlisted for RAAF service in Brisbane on 11th October 1940 and after training in Canada he was awarded his Pilot's Flying Badge on 23rd May 1941. On arrival in the UK in July 1941 he was posted to 22 OTU and then on to 405 Squadron on 28th October 1941. After serving with 405 Squadron he was posted to the AFEE at Ringway on 8th May 1942 and received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 28th June 1942. He was then posted to 21 OTU on 10th July 1942 to instruct, he spent a few weeks training at No.7 Flying Instructor School in August and early September 1941 before returning to 21 OTU as a qualified instructor. On 26th January 1943 P/O Mitchell was flying Wellington X9667 on a Bullseye training flight with part of the route to fly out into the North Sea off Essex. While out over the North Sea the Wellington was attacked by a night-fighter and shot down with the loss of most of the crew. His body was washed ashore in Holland and he is buried in Bergen-op-Zoom War Cemetery. He was twenty eight years old.